HARRISBURG, Pa., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- National dental insurer United Concordia Dental is celebrating National Smile Month, a collaboration between Oral Health America and the British Dental Health Foundation to promote the importance of oral health to overall health. Beginning May 18, this year's event is launching in the United States for the first time, making it the largest independent international dental health campaign.

United Concordia Dental educates adults and children by hosting a growing number of free dental clinics across the country and providing online dental health brochures on the connection between oral and medical health, articles on general and emergency dental care and children's fun pages. In addition, the Harrisburg, PA-based dental insurer offers dental plans designed to encourage preventive dental services.

"United Concordia Dental is committed to the healthy smiles of our members," said Dr. Richard P. Klich, United Concordia Dental's National Dental Director. "With the increasing body of evidence on how oral health may affect a person's overall health, United Concordia Dental continues to be proactive in providing this information to our members, empowering them to make informed decisions about their dental health and encouraging them to seek the preventive dental care necessary to minimize the risk of future health problems."

Running from May 18 to June 17, National Smile Month will inform the public of the possible connection between dental disease and a number of medical conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and preterm births.

"United Concordia Dental is excited at the opportunity to highlight the need for better dental health awareness during National Smile Month," said Dr. Klich. "Dental disease is one of the most common and preventable health issues facing Americans. The more attention and focus we give to this problem, the more we can help people remain healthy."

Having recently released its online Smile for Health(R) Dental Health Center, featuring informative dental health brochures, articles and kids' pages on oral and overall health, United Concordia Dental takes every opportunity to encourage members to take charge of their oral health. Upcoming United Concordia Dental clinics include events in Erie, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, PA, as well as additional planned activities in Texas, New York and Arizona.

For more information on any of the dental clinics mentioned or future scheduled events, contact United Concordia Dental's community event coordinators at uccomm@ucci.com. Consumers can access Smile for Health Dental Health Center by visiting the United Concordia Dental website, http://www.unitedconcordia.com, and clicking on Smile for Health Dental Health Center.

About United Concordia Dental

United Concordia Companies, Inc., headquartered in Harrisburg, PA, is one of the nation's largest dental insurers, with more than 7.7 million members worldwide. In 2007, United Concordia processed more than 13 million claims and attained revenues of $1.3 billion. For more information about United Concordia Dental products, visit http://www.unitedconcordia.com.

SOURCE United Concordia Dental